Jackspeak of the Royal Canadian Navy

Tompion

A block of wood inserted into the barrel of a gun on a 19th-century warship to keep out the sea spray. Also used for covers on the ends of the barrels of more modern ships' guns, the larger of which are often adorned with the ship's badge or other decoration. The term is often bastardized as "tampon".

Added: 2014-11-01 Last modified: 2014-11-01